1|Page
WGU - INTRODUCTION TO ANALYTICS D491 FINAL
EXAM 2026 WITH CORRECT VERIFIED ANSWERS.
research literature - - ANS✔️--is the set of published research studies on a particular topic
AERA - - ANS✔️--American Educational Research Association - largest and most prestigious
research association in the field of education
abstract - - ANS✔️--a brief summary of what is included in the article.
provides a concise breakdown of article goals, methods, and tentative results researchers choose
to include
understanding - - ANS✔️--(type of research objective)
attempting to learn about and generate ideas about specific and unique phenomena
How to determine if understanding was the objective of a research study - - ANS✔️--ask yourself
these questions:
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1. were the researchers studying a phenomenon or some aspect of a phenomenon about WHICH
LITTLE WAS PREVIOUSLY KNOWN?
2. Did the researchers choose to study a phenomenon WITHOUT ANY PRECONCEIVED
NOTIONS?
3. Were the researchers trying to "DISCOVER" IMPORTANT FACTORS or "generate" new
ideas for further research?
description - - ANS✔️--(type of research objective)
an attempt to describe the characteristics of a phenomenon.
one of the most basic activities in research.
ex. observing a phenomenon and recording what one sees
descriptive research - - ANS✔️--(type of research objective)
provide an accurate description or picture of the status or characteristics of a situation or
phenomenon.
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**focus is not specifically on searching out cause-and-effect relationships, but rather on relating
the variables that exist in a given situation and any relevant relationships that exist among them.
Steps in Descriptive Research - - ANS✔️--1. randomly select a sample from a defined population.
2. determine the sample characteristics
3. infer the characteristics of the population based on the sample
explanation - - ANS✔️--(type of research objective)
how and why a phenomenon operates as it does
**the objective of the majority of educational research is explanation**
How to determine if Explanation is the primary objective of a research study - - ANS✔️--ask
yourself these questions:
1. Were the researchers trying to DEVELOP A THEORY about a phenomenon to explain how
and why it operates as it does?
2. Were the researchers trying to explain how phenomena operate by IDENTIFYING CAUSE-
AND-EFFECT relationships?
, 4|Page
explanatory research - - ANS✔️--testing hypotheses and theories that explain the functions of a
phenomenon in detail
**researcher is focused on establishing clear and defensible evidence for cause-and-effect
relationships.
***experimental research is the strongest form of explanatory research for providing evidence of
cause and effect.
prediction - - ANS✔️--(type of research objective)
forecast a phenomenon, wherein there is an association made between two points in time.
**when researchers determine cause-and-effect operations, they can use this information to form
predictions
predictive research - - ANS✔️--predict the future of one or more dependent (or criterion)
variables on the basis of one or more independent (or predictor) variables.
**is most applicable when researchers want to see how well they can predict a certain outcome
based on one or more independent or predictor variables.
WGU - INTRODUCTION TO ANALYTICS D491 FINAL
EXAM 2026 WITH CORRECT VERIFIED ANSWERS.
research literature - - ANS✔️--is the set of published research studies on a particular topic
AERA - - ANS✔️--American Educational Research Association - largest and most prestigious
research association in the field of education
abstract - - ANS✔️--a brief summary of what is included in the article.
provides a concise breakdown of article goals, methods, and tentative results researchers choose
to include
understanding - - ANS✔️--(type of research objective)
attempting to learn about and generate ideas about specific and unique phenomena
How to determine if understanding was the objective of a research study - - ANS✔️--ask yourself
these questions:
,2|Page
1. were the researchers studying a phenomenon or some aspect of a phenomenon about WHICH
LITTLE WAS PREVIOUSLY KNOWN?
2. Did the researchers choose to study a phenomenon WITHOUT ANY PRECONCEIVED
NOTIONS?
3. Were the researchers trying to "DISCOVER" IMPORTANT FACTORS or "generate" new
ideas for further research?
description - - ANS✔️--(type of research objective)
an attempt to describe the characteristics of a phenomenon.
one of the most basic activities in research.
ex. observing a phenomenon and recording what one sees
descriptive research - - ANS✔️--(type of research objective)
provide an accurate description or picture of the status or characteristics of a situation or
phenomenon.
,3|Page
**focus is not specifically on searching out cause-and-effect relationships, but rather on relating
the variables that exist in a given situation and any relevant relationships that exist among them.
Steps in Descriptive Research - - ANS✔️--1. randomly select a sample from a defined population.
2. determine the sample characteristics
3. infer the characteristics of the population based on the sample
explanation - - ANS✔️--(type of research objective)
how and why a phenomenon operates as it does
**the objective of the majority of educational research is explanation**
How to determine if Explanation is the primary objective of a research study - - ANS✔️--ask
yourself these questions:
1. Were the researchers trying to DEVELOP A THEORY about a phenomenon to explain how
and why it operates as it does?
2. Were the researchers trying to explain how phenomena operate by IDENTIFYING CAUSE-
AND-EFFECT relationships?
, 4|Page
explanatory research - - ANS✔️--testing hypotheses and theories that explain the functions of a
phenomenon in detail
**researcher is focused on establishing clear and defensible evidence for cause-and-effect
relationships.
***experimental research is the strongest form of explanatory research for providing evidence of
cause and effect.
prediction - - ANS✔️--(type of research objective)
forecast a phenomenon, wherein there is an association made between two points in time.
**when researchers determine cause-and-effect operations, they can use this information to form
predictions
predictive research - - ANS✔️--predict the future of one or more dependent (or criterion)
variables on the basis of one or more independent (or predictor) variables.
**is most applicable when researchers want to see how well they can predict a certain outcome
based on one or more independent or predictor variables.
